Filing cabinet



Oct 15, 1946. J. w. PAxIoN FILING CABINET Filed Aug. 16, 1943 Patented Oct. 15, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CABINET ceased Application August 16, 1943, Serial No. 498,747

3 Claims.

This invention relates to filing cabinets and has for its main objects the provision of an improved form of filing cabinet which is conveniently and easily portable: the provision of an improved manner of tiltably mounting containers on a supporting base whereby in their closed positions the contents of the containers are fully enclosed and protected but which in their open positions permit full top view of the indices and the vertical insertion and removal of contents; the provision of improved means for insuring the retention of the contents in theicontainers when in their closed positions and the cabinet is being transported; and the provision of an improved filing cabinet of this kind which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and highly convenient and eificient to use.

In the particular embodiments shown in the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the preferred form showing two containers in their open positions;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same with the containers in their closed positions; a portion of the View is broken away to indicate some of the interior structure;

Fig.3 is an end elevation of the filing cabinet as shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the parts being broken away to more clearly reveal some of the interior form;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the follower taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the pivotal connection of the containers on the base, the view being taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the filing case employing a single container, the view being an end elevation with the container in itsclosed position; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view with the container shown in its open position.

In the preferred twin container embodiment of this invention, herein shown, the filing case comprises a base 9 whereon are swingably mounted the containers ID by means of horizontally arranged pivotal connections or pins H which permit the containers to be swung or revolved between their open and closed positions through a 90 angle. I

The base 9 is of a form which might be described'as a cradle. It comprises ends l2 connected to a bottom l3'and side rails Hi. The ends are of a width and a height such as will permit a placing of the pivotal connections so that in their horizontal openpositions the containers are spaced apart (Figs. 1 and 3) and in their closed positions the cut away portions of the ends of the containers are covered by the base ends 12 (Fig. 2). At their lower corners the ends R2 are extended, as at 15, so that the ends may be attached to the bottom l3 and the rails [4 without exposed joints.

The rails Mare of such a height that their upper edges form shoulders 16 to support the containers Ill in their open positions. The rails I4 and the bottom I 3 form a shallow U-shape in cross section with the base ends [2 extending well above the side rails 14.

A retaining wall I! is fixed on the bottom l3 between the ends and extending a little more than half the full height of said base ends [2. This partition precludes the possibility of the contents of the containers being shifted out of position and intermixed when the containers are in their closed position (as shown in Fig. 2) and the file is being transported. A plate I8 is arranged along the middle portion of the base l3 so that its edges provide shoulders 19 (see Fig.

2) for engaging the sides of the containers in.

their closed positions. The thickness of this plate is preferably sufficient to permit its supporting the containers with the followers (hereinafter described) out of contact with the bottom 13.

Each of the containers is of U-shaped cross section and has the ends 20 recessed or cut away as at 21 along the inner half of its length and the inner sides 23 are of less height than the outer sides 22. Hence, in the modification shown in the Figures 1; 2, and 3, the containers will accommodate the partition 11 between them in their closed positions with the unrecessed portions of the ends 20 and the higher sides 22 abutting above said partition and base ends I2. This formation of the container ends and sides has the further advantage of making theindices in the containers somewhat more visible and the contents more accessible for vertical removal and replacement than would be the case otherwise. The outer sides 2i are solid and extend the full height of the outer edges of the ends 20. The inner sides 23 of the containers I!) are preferably in the form of two pieces spaced apart so as to provide a. slot 24 'for the reception of the follower 25 which is provided for the purpose of retaining the contents in compact vertical position in the container when there is a quantity less than that required to fill up the full length of the container.

This follower 25 is formed with a T-shaped extension 26, the neck portion 21 of which is of a 3 size permitting it to slide in the slot 24 and the head 23 of which is of a width permitting it to be inserted through the slot 24 when the follower is held in a horizontal position, but which is longer than the width of the slot so that when the follower is turned into its vertical functioning position the head will coact with the adjacent end of lel lateral edge formed by the juncture of the inner container side and the container bottom. In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, this pivotal axis is located approximately half-way between the container sides.

When a file of this kind is equipped with a single container ID a side panel 36 is located inwardly of one of the side rails M of a height such that a horizontal extension 31 aligns and abuts with one of the higher container sides when the container is in its closed position. The ends l2 of the'base have to be modified accordingly, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. It will be noted that when the single container I0 is in its closed position it abuts against the top extension 31 in exactly the same way that each of the containers in a twin are resting against the follower and thereby increase the frictional engagement of the follower with the sides 23.

The pivotal connections I l are preferably in the form of dowels (see Fig. 5) secured in suitable blind apertures in the base ends l2 and extending through the container ends 20. A Washer 34 and a screw 35 are fixed on the inner end of each of these dowel pivots l I, in order to insure the retention of the containers on these dowel pivots and hold them out of frictional contact with the base ends I2.

The position of the pivotal connections II is one of the important features of this invention. Obviously, the pivotal connections for each container are in horizontal axial alignment. They are positioned inwardly of the respective perimeters of the ends 12 of the base and ends 20 of the containers so that in their vertical closed positions the perimeters of the containers in abut, as indicated in Fig. 2, and when they are in their horizontal open positions they are spaced apart horizontally with their indices completely visible and their contents convenient for vertical insertion or removal. 7

Obviously, the exact points at which these pivots are secured to the ends of the base and the ends of the container depend somewhat upon the relative sizes of the base and the containers and the height of the side rails M. Whatever may be the relative sizes and shapes of these parts these pivotal points should be so located that when the containers are swung to their closed positions they will be exactly perpendicular to the base-with the upper edges of the sides and the higher portion of the ends of the containers abutting, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the inner upper edges of the sides 23 will abut against the "shoulders IQ of the plate H5 at the same instant .of the container bottoms with the shoulders N5 of the bottom side rails M. To attain these results the pivots are located on the base ends [2 above the side rails l4 and adjacently inward from the outer vertical edges of said base ends. For the container, the axis of the pivots must be placed between the container bottom and the longitudinal middle plane thereof parallel to the container bottom. In the modification shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it has been found necessary to place this nal axis of the respective container and the paralset abut against each other. Also, it will be not'edthat when the container is swung open it occupies a horizontal position comparable to the containers in a twin set arrangement.

It will also be noted that in either form, when the containers are shifted to their closed positions the file as a whole may be picked up and conveniently carried from place to place. Whatever position the file may be required to occupy while being thus transported, there is no likelihood of the contents of either of the containers becoming dislodged.

Variations and modifications in the details of structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

1. A filing cabinet of the class described comprising a base having a bottom and side rails connected together and supporting end members extending above said side rails, a pair of identically formed open-top containers swingably mounted on said base on horizontally aligned pivots, said pivots being fixed on said container ends at points intermediate the inner, lower corners and the centers thereof, said pivots being fixed on said base end members above said base side rails and adjacently inward therefrom whereby in their closed positions the open parts of said containers are opposed and in their open positions permit the vertical insertion and removal of their contents, and a partition arranged on said base intermediate said containers and of less height than said containers in their closed positions, portions of the ends and one side of each of said containers being formed to accommodate said partition between said containers with the remaining portions of said ends and the other sides abutting each other above the partition.

2. A filing cabinet of the class described, comprising a supporting base and a container, said base being formed with a bottom, lateral side rail, and ends extending above said side rail, said container being formed with a bottom, two sides, and a pair of ends, said container being swin'g'ably mounted on said base ends on a pair of horizontally aligned pivots, said pivots being located on said container ends intermediate said sides and between said container bottom and a middle plane parallel to said container bottom, said pivots being located on said base ends inwardly of the adjacent vertical edges thereof and above the adjacent lateral side rail, whereby said container is held in its open position by the bottom resting on the adjacent side rail, and vertical means on said base disposed parallel to the axis of said pivots and providing a content-retaining Wall for said container when in its closed. position.

3. A filing cabinet of the class described, comprising a base having a bottom and side rails connected together and supporting end members extending above said side rails, a pair of open-top containers, each including a bottom, side members, and a pair of ends, said containers being swingably mounted on said base end members on horizontally aligned, pivots, said pivots being located on said container ends with the axis of each eral edge formed by the juncture of the inner side and the bottom, said pivots being located on said base end members with the axis of each pair above the top edges of the adjacent base side rails and adjacently inward from the vertical edges of said base end members, said containers thus supported being individually swingable from a closed position with the open tops of the two containers opposed to an open position with the container pair intermediate the central longitudinal axis 10 bottom resting on the respective base side rail.

of the respective container and the parallel lat- JOHN WARREN PAXTON. 

